BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1969

By: Christian

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, manure and fertilizer serve important but separate functions with regard to agriculture. The primary function of fertilizer is to provide essential nutrients to the soil to encourage plant growth. Manure provides organic matter to the soil, increasing the soil's moisture content and allowing for an increase in water retention capacity in sandy soils and both drainage and bio-aeration in clay-rich soils. The interested parties contend that the applicability of commercial fertilizer regulations to a substance containing animal manure or plant remains needs clarification. H.B. 1969 seeks to make that clarification.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1969 amends the Agriculture Code to replace a reference to the excreta of an animal with a reference to animal manure as a substance that is not a commercial fertilizer subject to provisions of law regulating the production, processing, and sale of commercial fertilizer under a specified condition and to specify as that condition that no specific nutrient analysis claim indicates guaranteed nutrient levels, rather than the condition that no claim of essential plant nutrients is made. The bill redefines "fertilizer material," "mixed fertilizer," "manipulated manure," and "specialty fertilizer" to make conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.